Kids' Books I Have Known and Loved

There are lots of wonderful books on the market for children. I first discovered this when I took a children's lit class at the U about 33 years ago. I learned about the wonderful world of Caldecott and Newbery winners. I reveled in the fact that it was a class requirement that I immerse myself in all these wonderful books!

I used to subscribe to the Horn Book magazine and diligently peruse all the best new books for children. When I worked at the nursery school, I was even more diligent. And the teachers there kept me up on the latest. While substitute teaching, I took to carrying around a totebag full of wonderful books and read them to the classes where teachers had not left sufficient lesson plans.

While pursuing my teaching credential, I was introduced to even more great books for kids and teens. When I began teaching full-time, I scanned the Scholastic handouts for new titles. I scoffed at Harry Potter when it first came out - thought it wasn't really literature. Shows just how wrong you can be sometimes!

But now I find myself pretty much sticking with the old faves, and I don't venture out too much. I don't think it is a function of age - I think I just can't do everything, and keeping track of kid lit was one of the items that got left by the wayside.

When Phoebe encouraged us to read the Newbery winners this summer, I was pulled back into the children's side of the library. While scanning the shelves for Newbery winners, I found a few "winners" of my own - and have posted them too.

Then Keli Clayton did a post about her girls squabbling, and I was reminded of a book about two girls who shared a room and had trouble getting along. It was a great little book - and I can't remember the title! But while unsuccessfully looking for it, I found myself stopping at every other book and thinking, "I love this book," "Why don't I read this to the grandkids?" "I need to tell everyone about this book."

So, here I am with my first recommendation - if you don't already have this one, try to locate it - you will be glad you did!

We first found this in the public library - probably in Bountiful, Utah. It's been a Terrill fave for years. The words have wonderful rhythm, the illustrations are delightfully "otherworldly," and it's lilting cadence lends itself to almost "singing along" with it.

Try it - you'll like it!